Archive for July, 2010

Just wanted to say “good job” to all new bootcampers who have made either one or two workouts already this week!

Remember that second workout is key to helping you feel better, so make sure you show up to that second workout. J Also remember that it takes time to build up your strength, so be patient; but you will see gradual increases in your strength each week when you first start working out.

Please let me know if you have any questions about what you should be doing on your “off” days.

See you Friday!

By the way, for everyone who wanted information on good quality supplements that we talked about in the evening class, here are my recommendations:

Here’s the website link if you just want to look around. The video is good.

Prograde Protein-delicious, vanilla-flavored low-calorie protein drink that you can use to increase your protein intake (for building muscle) and also decreases appetite to help you in your fatloss pursuits. I use this as a snack a lot and love it!

Prograde Workout-some of you have asked what to eat or drink after a workout. The verdict is in on post-workout nutrition, and it makes a significant difference in your recovery and your ability to gain muscle. You must have the proper ratio of carbs to protein, and you must optimally within 30 minutes of working out.

Prograde Workout is a post-workout drink, also vanilla-flavored, creamy, and smooth. I LOVE this drink and wish I could drink it with every meal!

Prograde Lean-I mentioned this at the grocery store tour the other night. We all need to be having some type of breakfast, but if you don’t have an appetite in the morning, this is a great alternative. It’s chocolate-flavored and yummy!

Hello everyone, just want you to know that the 6 AM workout will continue for the next couple of weeks! Please let me know if you plan on normally coming to this workout.

Also, there was soooo much to go over on Sunday that there were many important topics that we did NOT get to talk about!

For all of you who are wanting to see big changes in 8 weeks, you’ve got 2 things to think about each day.

1) Your nutrition-What can you change this week to help your body change in a positive way? The best way to do that is to make a substitution. For example, if you’re eating macaroni and cheese every Monday night, what can you use as a healthier substitute? Maybe something like brown rice or sweet potatoes?

It’s making those substitutions and sticking with them over time that will make a huge difference in how your body is shaped.

2) Your exercise program– What are you doing each day to a) build muscle, which boosts your metabolism (strength training, such as a bootcamp workout) and/or b) work your heart (your cardio), which also burns calories and cuts down on your appetite.

These are the 2 areas that you need to focus on for the next 8 weeks. You also need to DO IT and not “just try.” If the words “try” come out of your mouth, you will NOT get it done. You need to make up your mind to succeed and find a way, no excuses. If you’re having trouble with finding a solution to something, then email me. Adopt an “I’m going to succeed belief.” That’s where it all starts.

I know we have many people who are doing the FREE 2-week trial to our bootcamps, but let me know if you need help with your exercise program and are not able to attend the bootcamps. I want everyone to have a good first week!

More emails to come. We have to talk about setting the right types of goals! So that’s coming in another email.

What is it: The Transformation Contest is an 8 week contest to help people change their bodies, lose fat, and build muscle in a short time period.

The goal is to help motivate men and women to start an exercise and nutrition program so that they can experience rapid results.

Those in the contest will take “before photos” and write a “before” essay to summarize what changes they want to see and how they feel about themselves and their life right now. Then at the end of the Transformation period they’ll take an “after” photo and write an “after” essay summarizing their results and how they feel at the end of the contest.

When: The contest starts between July 19th and July 26th. You must pick your start date and take your before picture and write your essay during this first week. Then you need to submit that to me by email or in person.

The end date is 8 weeks after your start date. You must then take your “after” picture and come in for your official weigh-in that week and turn in your “after” essay.

For those who start the week of July 19th, your last day of the contest is Sunday, September 12th and your deadline to submit everything will be on Sunday, September 19th.

For those starting on July 26th, your end date is on September 19th and your deadline to submit your results is Sunday, September 26th.

To enter: Provide before and after photos and essays…newspaper in the photo or date on the camera

To be eligible for prizes, you must do your official weigh-in at The Palisades Country Club (with Julie) or at CrossFit Steele Creek (with Brian or staff) at the beginning and end of the contest.

If you want to qualify for the 1-month prize, you must weigh in after the first 4 weeks at either The Palisades Sports Complex with Julie or at CrossFit Steele Creek with Brian or a staff member.

To register: We need your name, email, and phone number and would like your consent to call and/or email you to check in on you or send you helpful information.

You must agree to the terms and conditions.

Anyone can enter over the age of 18.

Cost: There is no cost to enter the Transformation Contest but you must register to be able to compete for the free prizes or other give-aways.

Bootcamp or Master Your Metabolism classes are encouraged but are optional.

Tuff Girl Bootcamp Info

Tuff Girl Bootcamp classes are 30 minute express workouts designed to firm up your stomach, hips, and thighs. Our class format is basically small group training where you get lots of guidance and personal attention. Our groups are small and friendly.

Difficulty level: These workouts can be done by beginners and advanced fitness enthusiasts alike. There are normally 5 exercises for the day that we do 4 times each. For each exercise, there is a beginner, intermediate, and advanced version, which the instructor will demonstrate before the workout.

There are also modifications for those who have an injuries or joint issues.

The workout is short, challenging, but do-able for anyone. The key is for each person to do their best, and they’ll see improvement from week to week.

The workouts are fun because of the friendly group atmosphere and energizing music (that won’t offend anyone), plus we’ve never done the same workout twice in the 8 months that we’ve been running classes! We use bodyweight exercises, which are a great way to get tones, plus we use dumbbells, bands, and kettlebells to mix things up.

Premium Package: $250 per month for 5 classes per week, 20-25 classes per month. (minimum number must be signed up for T/Th class to take)

For those interested in the Premium package for evenings, see Julie for details.

If there is enough interest, we will offer a 5:45 AM class at The Palisades on M, W, F and/or a 5:30 PM M, W, F class at The Palisades. However, the 5:30 PM class would need to be done outdoors or possibly conducted at Carolina Dance Academy.

Master Your Metabolism Course: See handout for more info on what our “Maximize Your Metabolism” course can do for you.

The course isa series of lessons done over 6 weeks designed to help you create an action plan for changing and improving your eating habits and creating a fit lifestyle.

Those interested can ask Julie for details, and we’ll set up a time to conduct the course. Price depends on number of participants. The course will be done over a period of 6 weeks.

Special Offer:For today only for those enrolling in the Transformation Contest, the first 5 people to register for bootcamp will receive 8 weeks of bootcamp classes, normally a $350 value, for a 1-time payment of $275.

Transformation Contest at The Palisades

Registration/Terms and conditions

The Contest Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, cancel or suspend this Contest should an external circumstances arise which are beyond the reasonable control of the Contest Sponsor. The Contest Sponsor is not responsible for any errors or omissions in printing or advertising this Contest.

The Contest Sponsor collects your personal information for the purposes of registration, program evaluation and to keep you informed about The Challenge. The Contest Sponsor may, if consent was given during registration, also contact you from time to time with information about other ways you can lose weight. Participants must be willing to have their before/after photo posted online IF they win the contest or if their results are significant and prize-worthy.

The Contest Sponsor will not share any personal data about entrants with any
other party. The personal data collected for this Contest will not be used for any other purposes unless entrants provide explicit permission as indicated on the entry form.

By entering this Contest, entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Contest Sponsor and their respective employees, officers, directors, agents, representatives, successors, assigns, advertising and promotional agencies from any liability for any loss or damage of any kind to the entrant or any other person in connection with this Contest or participation in any Contest related activities, including but not limited the taking of a urine test or, if declared a winner, the use or misuse of a prize or any portion of a prize including personal injury, death or property damage.

This Contest will run in accordance with these Contest Rules, subject to amendment by the Contest Sponsor. Contest Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, amend, modify or terminate this Contest or the Rules at any time in its sole discretion and without notice.

Entrants must comply with these rules, and will be deemed to have received and understood the rules if they participate in the Contest.

Tuff Girl Bootcamps will start a new early morning class for those who need to get an early and energizing start to their day!

Classes will begin at 6 AM starting Wednesday, July 21st. We’re offering a 2-week FREE trial for anyone who wants to get a kick-start in their fatloss. We’ll continue the classes for 2 weeks on this trial basis, and if there is enough interest in continuing, then we’ll keep the class going through the Fall!

Please let me know if you’d like to join us tomorrow or even next week! Let’s go! This class is an awesome class out on the Palisades grass court as we watch the sun come up and start our day the right way. Good times. 🙂

Community Draws Together for Bootcamp Fundraiser for Blake Goshen Memorial Fund

Charlotte, NC – July 14th, 2010—The first of many benefits will be held for the Goshen family to raise funds for a memorial for Blake Goshen, the 8-year-old boy who died tragically in a boating accident on Saturday, June 26th, 2010. The Blake’s Blessing Foundation has been established to handle funds that will eventually be used to help with boat safety programs in the Carolinas as well as provide support for changing boat licensing legislation.

The Goshen family would like to place a memorial for their son, Blake, at Windjammer Park in Tega Cay. Many in the community, including those in Blake’s school, church and sports league, have asked how they can contribute to the Goshen family. “This is a great opportunity for people in our area to show their love and support for the Goshens,” says Julie Sawyer, owner of Tuff Girl Bootcamps. Sawyer will hold a charity bootcamp workout on Saturday, July 31st at 9 AM at The Palisades Sports Complex for anyone interested in donating to the Blake’s Blessing Foundation. Sawyer says the workout will be challenging, fun and is suited for beginners and advanced fitness enthusiasts alike.
Sawyer will also be raffling off a free 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month membership to her bootcamps plus 1 free week of her Kids’ Fit Camp for individuals who participate in the workout that Saturday.
To register for the Blake Goshen Bootcamp Fundraiser, go to https://www.raceit.com/Register/?event=1900

Today was rainy, so I got “stuck” on the cardio equipment in the gym for my cardio workout of the day. Here’s what I did. It ended up being a really good, refreshing but challenging workout. It is not for the meek! I did intervals running on the treadmill, but the following workout can be adjusted to go your “sprint” speed or can even be done at the same intensity on another piece of cardio equipment like the bike or the elliptical. Remember, the only rule I follow when I workout is to GO HARD!

To start, I warmed up by walking and then by “jogging” for about 5 minutes. I always make sure I feel good and loose before starting anything that calls for intensity. Sometimes it takes me 10 minutes instead of 5, but today I felt ready to go after 5 minutes of slowly increasing my speed.

Ladder Intervals:

Then I alternated by doing (running) 1 minute fast, then walking 1 minute slowly. Here’s how I did it.

1 minute at 6.5 mph followed by 1 minute at 3.0 mph.

1 minute at 7.5 mph (I skipped 7.0 because I wanted to find the right challenging speed.) followed by 1 min. at 3.0 mph

1 minute at 8.0 mph, followed by 1 minute at 3.0 mph.

1 minute at 8.5 mph, followed by 1 minute at 3.0 mph.

1 minute at 9.0 mph, followed by 1 min. at 3.o mph.

1 minute at 8.5 mph, followed by 1 minute at 3.0 mph.

1 minute at 8.0 mph, followed by 1 minute at 3.0 mph.

1 minute at 7.5 mph, followed by 1 min. at 3.0 mph.

1 min. at 7.0 mph, followed by 1 min. at 3.0 mph.

1 min. at 6.5 mph, followed by 1 min. at 3.0 mph.

1 min. at 6.0 mph, followed by a 3 minute cool-down walking at 3.0 mph.

Remember, it doesn’t matter what your speed is on the treadmill. You could be faster or slower than me, but what you’re shooting for is to get to that 70%-85% effort level, where you barely can make the 1 minute before you need to slow it down. Try it for 5 to 10 intervals once or twice a week to start, and you’ll see yourself getting fitter and slimmer in a short amount of time!

You may have heard an avid tennis fan deem tennis as “the sport for life.” Are they biased, or is there any validity to their claim? According to world-renowned scientists from a variety of disciplines, tennis actually is one of the best sports you can play.

Here are some facts about the medical benefits of tennis:

1) According to physician Ralph Paffenbarger who studied over 10,000 people over a period of 20 years, people who participated in tennis at a moderate to vigorous intensity level cut their risk of death in half from any cause.

2) According to Dr. Joan Finn and colleagues at Southern Connecticut State University, tennis players scored higher in optimism, self-esteem, and vigor and also scored lower in depression, anxiety, tension, confusion, and anger than other athletes and non-athletes.

4) Scientists at the University of Illinois reported that tennis may generate new connections between nerves in the brain, thus promoting a lifetime of continuing development of the brain because of the alertness and tactical thinking that tennis requires.

Besides these medical benefits, tennis is a great all-around sport for improving many aspects of your physical fitness. A well-contested game of tennis can improve your aerobic fitness because your heart rate stays elevated for the length of a tough match. Playing singles or doubles helps your anaerobic fitness by offering short, intense bursts of activity during points, followed by rest between points. Many fitness enthusiasts actually hire trainers to guide them through a workout with this type of high intensity exercise! Tennis increases a player’s speed from moving side to side and up and back when running after the ball. A player’s leg strength improves through hundreds of stops, starts, bends, and jumps to reach the ball.

Hitting the ball requires general body coordination to move and set up for the ball, plus they need hand-eye coordination to strike the ball well. Gross motor skills allow one to control their larger muscle groups for movement, and fine motor skills are needed for touch shots like drop shots and lobs.

Moving all around the court also requires agility to change direction quickly, dynamic balance to hit on the run, and flexibility to stretch for balls that are almost out of reach. The conditioning effects of tennis improve immune function, promoting overall health and resistance to disease. Bone strength and bone mineral density are improved through tennis because it is a weight-bearing activity. Tennis players are actually well-known for their unusually high scores on bone-density tests, which keep them from being at risk for osteoporosis later in life.

The psychological benefits of tennis are just as numerous. Competing on the court helps a player problem solve, plan and implement strategies, deal with adversity, and handle making mistakes. One must accept responsibility, develop social skills, and learn to win graciously but lose with dignity.

After looking at such a long list of benefits, is there any wonder that scientists and players around the world advocate tennis as the sport of a lifetime? Many other sports provide health benefits physically and mentally, but tennis is the one acclaimed as the best overall for its physical, mental, and emotional benefits. It’s a great sport to learn as a child, but it can be learned at any age. The only way that you can experience these benefits too is to start now! Find a friend to play with on a regular basis. It will grow your friendship, and you’ll get in shape, too. If you want to learn more about the proper form on your strokes, consult your local tennis professional. You’ll be amazed at how much fun you can have running around after the little yellow ball, so serve it up!

Bio

Julie Sawyer is the Fitness Director at The Palisades and the Owner of Tuff Girl Bootcamps. Before starting her fitness career, she taught tennis for 20 years, including the last 8 years in the Charlotte area. Her expertise is in fitness for tennis, and she is currently running workouts for tennis players participating in the Palisades Youth Tennis Camps. She also offers Youth Sports Performance Camps at The Palisades Country Club to help young athletes improve their ability to play sports such as soccer, tennis, volleyball, and baseball while improving their level of fitness.

Sawyer is a stellar tennis player and is an accomplished junior player in SC history, winning over 15 state championships in a period of 5 years. She has joined the Inaugural Charlotte Women’s Pro League this summer and was recently nominated for the York County Hall of Fame.

FREE Area-wide Transformation Contest for Fort Mill, SW Charlotte, and Lake Wylie residents! Invite your friends to join you in this one-of-a-kind motivator to get you in shape for summer!

Do you need that extra motivation and accountability to make changes and SEE changes? A Tranformation Contest is a GREAT way to set goals and put them into action for results. Contest will run for 8 weeks starting July 19 th . There will be a winner, runner-up, and monthly winners with prizes. A FREE orientation/meeting will be held on Sunday, July 18th at 3 PM at the Palisades Sports Complex. All details of the contests will be explained there by Julie Sawyer, who will also answer any questions about the contest. Initial measurements will be taken, and Brian Strump of Premier Health and Rehab will be doing a FREE body fat analysis for contestants. All contestants will also be offered 2 free classes at CrossFit Steele Creek or 2 FREE weeks to Tuff Girl Bootcamps.

Shortly after the meeting, Julie will hold a FREE grocery store tour at Lowe’s foods to give everyone a kick-start for success in their transformations.

Call or email Julie for more details, or just show up at 3 PM in the lobby at the Sports Complex. Let’s go! For any women interested in a complete Transformation Kit for women with a Done-For-You exercise plan, follow along DVD’s, and a Done-For-You nutrition plan, email Julie for details.

Good job ladies for coming out and working hard this week! Each workout was tough, and it’s great to see everyone getting physically and mentally stronger each time they come out. You are making changes that will affect the rest of your life!

Campers of the week this week are Julie Champion, Mary Eberle, Kate Lemond, and Raveena Boler for making all 3 workouts this week!

Also, thanks everyone for coming out on Friday morning and working hard. The editor of the Lake Wylie Pilot was there to take pictures, and she took a lot of them. Everyone gave a great effort, and you ALL looked gorgeous; so I’m sure she got some great shots. 🙂 Can’t wait to see them! She also did interviews with a couple of our ladies, so it will be interesting to see how she puts it all together for the article on our Transformation Contest.

By the way, if you thought you missed our meeting and our grocery store tour last week, it didn’t happen. We’re starting the Transformation Contest in one more week, and we’ll have the grocery store tour next Sunday after the meeting. I’ll post more on the contest in the next blog.

Hey ladies! We had a little slower week this past week with the holiday coming up, but I thought I’d give a couple of highlights for the week. By the way, you need to know that you are sorely missed when you can’t make it to camp.

Here’s a BIG “Good Job” shout-out to Deb Segura, Elizabeth Roop, and Julie Champion for making all 3 sessions this week.

Also, it’s amazing from my point-of-view to see the progress that you are all making in your physical strength and even in your mental toughness. So, I have another “You Were Amazing” shout-out to the following ladies:

Deb Segura-She made the whole 30-second interval all 4 times with 1 leg in the air on a full side plank!

Elizabeth Roop– She also made the whole 30-second interval all 4 times with 1 leg in the air on a full side plank!

Kate Lemond– Completed her first full pushups with her feet up on a chair!

Julie Champion– Also has progressed to doing full pushups on a regular basis and completed many pushups with her feet on the chair this week!

Keep it up ladies! You are all doing great and are on your way to seeing BIG changes. I want to meet with each of you before the month is over, so grab me when you can and set up your meeting with me this week!